“I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words ‘elite white people’ in a text message conversation,” Fromm wrote. “Although I never meant to imply that I am an ‘elite white person,’ as stated later in the conversation, there’s no excuse for that word choice and sentiment. While it was poor, my heart is not. Now, more than ever, is the time for support and togetherness and I stand against racism 100%. I promise to commit myself to being a part of the solution in this country. I addressed my teammates and coaches in a team meeting today and I hope they see this incident is not representative of the person I am. Again, I’m truly sorry for my words and actions and humbly ask for forgiveness.”

In saying he never meant to imply he was an elite white male, which he noted during the text conversation, Fromm added: “There’s no excuse for that word choice and sentiment. While it was poor, my heart is not.”

Fromm, selected in the fifth round of the draft by Buffalo in April, said he also apologized to his teammates and coaches in a team meeting.

The Bills have not responded to questions regarding the posts involving Fromm, or his apology.

Fromm’s text conversation was captured in two screen shots and posted on an account with the name of @ashleymp20 shortly before 1 a.m. The exchange, which took place in March 2019, features four consecutive texts from Fromm, which begin with: “I thought we were talkin about lots of stuff.”

Fromm then proceeds to write: “But no guns are good. They need to let me get suppressors. Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them haha.”

The revelation of the text exchange comes at a sensitive time, a little over a week after George Floyd was killed while being arrested by police in Minnesota. Floyd’s death has resulted in a large number of protests taking place across the nation.

“Now, more than ever, is the time for support and togetherness and I stand against racism 100%” Fromm wrote in his apology. “I promise to commit myself to being a part of the solution in this country.”

Though the Bills did not have an immediate need at quarterback, general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged Fromm was too good of a talent to pass up when Buffalo made the 167th pick. With Josh Allen as Buffalo’s established starter, and with the NFL’s spring practice schedule wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic, the expectation is for Fromm to compete with Matt Barkley for the backup job. Buffalo’s depth at the quarterback position is rounded out by Davis Webb.

The Bills issued the following statement: “Earlier today, we became aware of comments made in a text message conversation involving Jake Fromm in 2019. He was wrong and he admitted it to us. We don’t condone what he said. Jake was honest and forthcoming to us about the text exchange. He asked for an opportunity to address and apologize to his teammates and coaches today in a team meeting, which he did. We will continue to work with Jake on the responsibilities of being a Buffalo Bill on and off the field.”

Fromm was a three-year starter at Georgia and led the Bulldogs to three consecutive SEC championship appearances, and the College Football Playoff title game in 2018, which ended with an overtime loss to Alabama.

The knock on Fromm was that, at 6-foot-2 and 215, he lacked a quarterback’s prototypical size for the NFL level. His arm strength was also questioned, especially after Fromm had a poor outing at the league’s scouting combine.

Fromm finished his college career completing 621 of 982 attempts for 8,224 yards, with 78 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions. He was the SEC’s freshman of the year in 2017, and led the nation with 30 touchdown passes in 2018.

From Warner Robins, Georgia, the 21-year-old Fromm established his reputation as a competitor by taking over the starting job at Georgia as a true freshman and after starter Jacob Eason was sidelined by an injury.

]]>Tom Puckettall local, Bills, Local News7e11f3de-1d7e-4e60-98a6-b487c633eba8Thu, 04 Jun 2020 15:23:37 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/mcdermott-hopes-bills-can-be-unifying-picture-in-america
As protests continue across the United States after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott hopes his team can be a good example of what unity should look like in America.

"Part of the reason why we share stories in our culture and building is to learn about one another and certainly with that comes some differences. With that also comes a lot of similarities between people " McDermott said.

"Together, I hope that our team can be a unifying picture of what it should look like."

McDermott spoke with local media on Wednesday, saying he and his players spoke as a team about Floyd's death and the protests in a meeting during the virtual offseason program.

The fourth-year head coach said he is "disgusted and ashamed" of the murder.

"We are all human and I share with our players we are professional coaches, professional players, at the end of the day we are human beings."

Many current and former players have spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, McDermott understands Floyd's death hits home for a lot of them.

He emphasized listening when speaking with the media, hoping to better educate himself and others.

"Ive tried to open myself up to our players to be a listener, to be listening, to be a good listener," McDermott said. "I think it is important to educate myself and build awareness and at the same time lead our team and our family through this."

McDermott also spoke on a number of other issues Wednesday including the status of second-year defensive tackle Ed Oliver who was arrested a month ago on DWI charges. The Bills have spoken with Oliver but the organization plans to let the legal process "run its course".

Oliver could face a suspension of three-games by the NFL for a first offense after the new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association this year increased the suspension from the previous policy of two games for first time offenders.

Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies pulled Oliver over after receiving reports around 9 p.m. of someone driving recklessly in a construction area north of the city, local media outlets reported, citing jail and police records and statements from sheriff's officials.

The deputies found an open beer and a pistol in Oliver's truck, according to sheriff's officials.

Video published by the Montgomery County Police Reporter appears to show officers examining Oliver's eyes and having him walk in a line on the roadside before putting him in handcuffs.

Oliver is from Houston, where he also played his college career. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2019 draft. Montgomery County records did not list Oliver as being in the jail Sunday morning.

The team said in a statement that “we are aware of the situation and we are gathering more information.”

Oliver’s agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

]]>Allan HarrisBills, Local Newsfe2c050c-02a1-460a-81cb-88d8c7ebc610Sun, 17 May 2020 07:44:56 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/2020-buffalo-bills-schedule
Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Bills 2020 season is set and features four prime time appearances.

PRE-SEASON:

AUG. 13-17: BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE - TBD

AUG. 20-24: BUFFALO VS ATLANTA - TBD

AUG. 27-30: BUFFALO VS INDIANAPOLIS - TBD

SEPT. 3-4: BUFFALO AT DETROIT - TBD

REGULAR SEASON:

SEPT. 13: BUFFALO VS NEW YORK J. - 1PM

SEPT. 20: BUFFALO AT MIAMI - 1PM

SEPT. 27: BUFFALO VS LOS ANGELES R. - 1PM

OCT. 4: BUFFALO AT LAS VEGAS - 4:25PM

OCT. 11: BUFFALO AT TENNESSEE - 1PM*

OCT. 15: BUFFALO VS KANSAS CITY - 8:20PM

OCT. 25: BUFFALO AT NEW YORK J. - 1PM*

NOV. 1: BUFFALO VS NEW ENGLAND - 1PM*

NOV. 8: BUFFALO VS SEATTLE - 1PM*

NOV. 15: BUFFALO AT ARIZONA - 4:05PM*BYE

NOV. 29: BUFFALO VS LOS ANGELES C. - 1PM*

DEC. 7: BUFFALO AT SAN FRANCISCO - 8:15PM

DEC. 13: BUFFALO VS PITTSBURGH - 8:20PM*

DEC. 19 OR 20: BUFFALO AT DENVER - TBD

DEC. 28: BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND - 8:15PM

JAN. 3: BUFFALO VS MIAMI - 1PM

All times are EST | * Eligible for flex scheduling

The NFL schedule, not to mention offseason activities and the preseason, has to be considered tentative given the current prohibition on large gatherings.

But Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the league is planning for a normal season, albeit while making contingency plans.

“The league and the clubs have been in contact with the relevant local, state and federal government authorities and will continue to do so,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports76bd6ec3-96c7-4fc3-990f-96764262b4d0Thu, 07 May 2020 19:33:17 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/bills-could-be-ready-for-prime-time
Buffalo, NY (WBEN) After reaching the playoffs last year, the Bills could be in for some prime time appearances when the NFL unveils its 2020 schedule tonight.

"I don't think it's a question of if they get a prime time game, it's how many," says Bradley Gelber of USA Today Bills Wire. "That's based on the hype surrounding this team and the fact they've improved during the offseason, they've had a prime time game last year and one on Thanksgiving."

Gelber predicts two or three national TV games for the Bills. "I know for Buffalo, that seems like a lot. Some teams seem to be in prime time every week. It's a foregone conclusion they'll have one prime time game, and upwards of three," says Gelber.

Who could play the Bills in prime time? Gelber says Kansas City and Pittsburgh are potential opponents. "Any of the divisonal games, they can market it as a rivalry games. We could also see the 49ers as a prime time opponent, there's a lot of hype on that team as well," adds Gelber.

WGR Sportsradio 550's Sal Capaccio also believes the Bills could be a national TV team frequently. "I spoke with Mike North, one of the NFL's head schedule makers. He told me usually even if the Bills, we could go to the networks and give you Buffalo and they'd say Buffalo doesn't resonate. After the numbers the Bills pulled in on national TV last year, he said, you have the competitive side saying the Bills are pretty good, and the network side, saying yes, please give us the Bills," says Capaccio.

Capaccio thinks there will be multiple prime time games for the Bills. "Even national TV games, the 4 o'clock window on west coast trips. I think the Bills will be in line and lot of people will be in line to see the Bills on TV," adds Capaccio.

But there is one obstacle: coronavirus. That could keep the NFL from allowing fans into the stadium or even playing at all. In the event of cancellation or fans not being allowed to enter a stadium to watch a game, the NFL issued this ticket policy:

We have every expectation that there will be a full NFL game schedule in 2020. However, if a game is cancelled and cannot be rescheduled, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending, ticket buyers who purchase tickets directly from the club (i.e., Season Tickets, Group Sales and/or Partial Season Plans) will receive the option of a full refund of [their] ticket purchase price (plus associated fees) for any impacted games or have the ability to apply the applicable amount to a future ticket purchase:

1.Tickets purchased directly from Clubs: League-wide Refund policy for cancelled games or games played without spectators will apply

Ticketmaster: Automatic refunds provided for all primary and secondary sales within 30 days of cancellation

SeatGeek: Refunds provided upon request for all primary and secondary sales within 30 days of cancellation

StubHub: No refunds unless required by law. Credit issued worth 120% of original order. Credit expires in 2022 and can be used on any future StubHub purchase. The following states require refunds be issued and Ticket Buyer must call Stub Hub directly to request refund: CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, LA, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TN.

]]>Tom Puckettall local, Bills, Local News, Local Sports4a694191-cbb6-4e6c-8fbc-5014a5c7f22eThu, 07 May 2020 04:00:00 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/ap-news/big-changes-in-afc-east-but-belichick-the-constant-for-pats
NEW YORK (WBEN/AP) — This could be the year.

You know, when Buffalo, Miami or the New York Jets (finally) step up and (finally) overtake New England for supremacy in the AFC East — something the Patriots have had for most of the last two decades.

Tom Brady has brought his six Super Bowl rings to Tampa Bay. The suddenly unretired Rob Gronkowski has joined him. Stephen Gostkowski, James Develin, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins also are gone.

So, this is the perfect time for the Patriots’ division rivals to pounce, right?

Well, yeah. But not so fast.

Bill Belichick is still running things in New England. As long as that’s the case, the Bills, Dolphins and Jets take nothing for granted.

“I think it’s funny and comical that people are writing them off,” Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane said last week. “So, until we beat them, we’ve done nothing. And we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

That has been the theme for New England’s AFC East rivals over the past 19 years, when the Patriots won 17 division titles, including the last 11. The two times they didn’t take the top spot were 2002, when the 9-7 Jets won a three-way tiebreaker with the Patriots and Dolphins, and 2008, when Brady was lost for the season after injuring a knee in the opener.

So, forgive those in Buffalo, Miami and New York if they’re not necessarily having visions of New England sinking below them in the standings.

Belichick will have his work cut out for him, for sure. It isn’t even clear — well, to the rest of us, that is — who the starting quarterback will be post-Brady. Jarrett Stidham? Brian Hoyer? Someone not on the roster yet?

Belichick certainly has a plan. And that’s what makes everyone else wary.

“The team to beat in the East,” Beane said, “is the Patriots.”

NEW-LOOK NEW ENGLAND

No, the Patriots didn’t draft a QB. Nor a wide receiver, for that matter. But, they were busy shoring up other roster areas.

And, as the rest of the league knows, Belichick has a knack for finding players who become key contributors. That’s the hope, especially, for Kyle Dugger, New England’s surprise first pick in the second round. The safety from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne was one of four defensive players selected, along with linebackers John Uche (Michigan), Anfernee Jennings (Alabama) and Cassh Maluia (Wyoming).

Belichick added three offensive linemen, two tight ends and a kicker last week. The Patriots will also be wearing new uniforms, so there's a different look for New England. Except the guy running it all, of course.

“I think with all these players, the expectations are the same,” Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio said. “It’s just really to come in and assimilate with the program."

CHARGING BILLS

Buffalo took an efficient approach to the draft in shoring up needs in the secondary and adding depth to other positions. That came after Beane and the Bills addressed many of their most pressing needs in free agency. They sent four draft picks – including this year’s first-rounder (No. 22) – to acquire receiver Stefon Diggs from Minnesota to give promising young quarterback Josh Allen a No. 1 target.

Buffalo’s first two selections, Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa and Utah running back Zack Moss, could contribute immediately in complementary roles.

WAVE OF NEWCOMERS

With an eye on the future, the Dolphins loaded up in the draft with 11 picks -- highlighted by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The former Alabama star is still recovering from a hip injury that ended his college career and he could sit all season behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. The long-term health of Tagovailoa is key, of course, so the Dolphins selected a franchise-record three offensive lineman in the first four rounds, including USC tackle Austin Jackson 18th overall.

“That’s how you win in this league, with O-lines and D-lines, so we saw great value,” GM Chris Grier said.

HELPING SAM

New York GM Joe Douglas promised quarterback Sam Darnold’s parents he’d add playmakers and offensive line protectors for their son -- and he certainly gave it a shot.

The Jets drafted massive Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton No. 11 overall and took Baylor speedy wide receiver Denzel Mims in the second round. They added Florida running back La’Mical Perine and Charlotte offensive lineman Cameron Clark, both in the fourth round. Third-round safety Ashtyn Davis from Cal could be an immediate contributor on defense and special teams.

“Roster-wise, I think Joe and the personnel department have done a great job as far as lining this thing up the right way,” coach Adam Gase said, “and finding the right type of guys and really the right fit for what we’re trying to do.”

“You’re beautiful, man,” McDermott said, referring to a reporter during a video conference call Thursday. “Throw the fastball high and inside. Chin music.”

And yet, he wasn’t ready to swing away in addressing the media for the first time since the Bills upgraded their roster in free agency and acquired receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with Minnesota in March, before shoring up secondary needs in the NFL draft last weekend.

McDermott would only go so far in acknowledging the Bills’ current roster is the deepest it’s been since taking over the job three years ago.

“Listen, we’re definitely further along than where we were when I got here,” he said. “And that’s part of the goal, you want to be able to say that.”

The proof, however, is still months away given the challenges he and the rest of the NFL faces in wondering when teams will be allowed to begin practicing because of the coronavirus pandemic. And there are still games to be played.

What’s not in question, on paper at least, is the Bills finally resembling a contender based on a variety of factors for a team coming off its second playoff appearance in three years.

Buffalo’s roster features continuity, with all but four regulars returning from last season. And whatever holes there might have been, were shored up through a series of offseason additions, including defensive end Mario Addison, defensive tackle Vernon Butler, linebacker A.J. Klein and cornerback Josh Norman.

It’s enough for some to regard the Bills as the chic pick to supplant the New England Patriots atop the AFC East standings following Tom Brady’s departure.

Diggs’ acquisition alone was important because it has the potential of improving a Josh Allen-led offense that had difficulty scoring. Buffalo failed to top 21 points 11 times last season, including a 21-18 overtime wild-card playoff loss to Houston, in which the Bills squandered a 16-0 third-quarter lead.

“We need to score points, and that’s been an emphasis and a theme that we’ve talked about since the end of the season,” he said of a team which had 10 games decided by seven points or fewer.

“I would love to take a seat on the bench in the fourth quarter of one of these games and maybe eat an orange slice or drink a Gatorade instead of having my heart go a million miles an hour,” McDermott added.

Concerns still abound, with one of his biggest involving the lack of practice time to develop Buffalo’s passing game.

McDermott said the offense spends about 70% of their spring practices working on passes, with the focus turning to the running attack once players are allowed to wear pads. He also wondered how long it might take for Allen to build chemistry with Diggs.

“I am concerned about it, but I guess not worried at this point,” McDermott said, noting every team faces its share of challenges. “What you do is try to adjust and adapt, and like we said before, our theme this offseason has been: `Find a way.’”

McDermott has a track record of overcoming adversity in Buffalo.

During his first season, the Bills overcame a patchwork roster in transition — Buffalo traded three starters, receiver Sammy Watkins, defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and cornerback Ronald Darby — to finish 9-7 and end a 17-year playoff drought. Last season, the Bills made the playoffs despite an offense that featured eight new starters.

Though players are working out remotely on their own, McDermott is reintroducing his annual offseason team-bonding sessions by once again having newcomers introduce themselves by sharing their backgrounds during team sessions.

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports3b7f2e52-5b3c-4021-ab7f-fd64b8f9d5faThu, 30 Apr 2020 16:40:00 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/ap-news/bills-sign-son-of-former-dolphins-linebacker-bryan-cox
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN/AP-John Wawrow) — Bryan Cox Jr. acknowledged his father enjoyed playing the villain when it came to antagonizing opponents, the Buffalo Bills in particular.

And yet, the defensive end hopes fans don’t judge him for the actions of Bryan Cox Sr., who never hid his dislike for Buffalo while playing for the AFC rival Miami Dolphins in the 1990s.

“Honestly, that happened so long ago, it has nothing to do with me,” Cox said during a video conference call after signing a one-year contract with Buffalo on Wednesday. “I feel like if I come in and produce, none of that matters. I feel like I’ll be embraced if I come in and do my thing, just playing ball.”

That might be easier said than done for the third-year player, given how his father was labeled Pubic Enemy No. 1 in Buffalo for most of his 12 NFL seasons, the first five with Miami.

There was the infamous two-middle-fingered salute to the crowd the elder Cox made toward fans exiting the tunnel and caught on live television before a game at Orchard Park, New York, in 1993. Cox told NBC his gesture was in response to batteries being thrown at him and racist letters sent to him by Bills fans.

In the week before the game, Cox was quoted as saying: “I don’t like the Buffalo Bills as a team, I don’t like them as people, I don’t like the city and I don’t like their organization.”

Two years later, in another game at Buffalo, Cox spit in the direction of Bills fans while being escorted off the field after being ejected for a fight with running back Carwell Gardner.

“What I would say about that is football back then was way different than it is now,” said Cox Jr., who was born in 1994.

“I feel like somebody had to be the villain, and I felt he kind of embodied that,” he added. “We have some similarities, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not my father.”

Tell that to Bills fan Steve Barone, who still carries a grudge.

“Like father, like son, I see. I’ve never met his son, but I don’t want him on my football team just because of his dad,” Barone told The Associated Press. “I don’t mean to carry a grudge, but his dad was a jerk.”

Barone recalled the game in 1993, saying he was sitting near the tunnel entrance when Cox started engaging with him and other fans.

“He called us a bunch of names, so we gave it right back at him,” Barone said, noting he didn’t say anything racist, and didn’t recall anyone throwing batteries. “We went at it for a good five minutes.”

And then when the Dolphins exited the tunnel to take the field before kickoff, Cox raised his arms and extended his middle fingers.

“That was anger. That was above and beyond just being back and forth jawing,” Barone said. “That was just rude. It showed what kind of person he was.”

Cox Jr. is focused on the future.

He broke into the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted free agent with Carolina. With two starts in 25 career games, he spent two full seasons with the Panthers before spitting last year between Carolina and Cleveland.

In Buffalo, he is reunited with newly hired Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington, who coached Cox at Carolina. Cox is also reunited with former Panthers defensive linemen Mario Addison and Vernon Butler, who signed with Buffalo in free agency last month.

Cox is expected to compete for a backup role, and said his father is excited about the signing.

“I’m sure he’d be happy to come to Buffalo,” Cox said. “He has no hard feelings.”

For Barone, the most amusing memory from 1993 was speaking to his father, who was working as a preacher in Manitoba, and asked how he enjoyed the Bills game.

“I said, `How did you know?’” Barone said. “He said, `We had an elders meeting after church and you were right there (on TV). And your mom goes, `Oh, look, there’s Steve.’ And there we were giving each other the finger, and my dad said, `Turn the TV off.’”

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports0c66832e-2608-49cf-ab46-1e7337685c68Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/bills-shore-up-needs-in-2020-nfl-draft-class
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN/AP-John Wawrow) — Brandon Beane joked he would’ve lost a bet on whether the Buffalo Bills would fail to make a trade during the NFL draft.

“I just felt like he was too good of a value to pass up,” Beane said during a video conference call Saturday in referring to selecting Fromm with the 167th pick.

Fromm’s addition, however, highlighted the patient approach he took toward the draft, which the Bills began by sitting out the first round after trading their top pick to acquire receiver Stefon Diggs from Minnesota.

With limited assets to deal, and a roster mostly set following Buffalo’s latest veteran free-agent haul last month, Beane mostly resisted the urge to trade up and down the draft order as he did the previous two years.

He instead focused on shoring up the team’s most immediate needs with Buffalo’s first two picks by selecting I owa defensive end A.J. Epenesa and Utah running back Zack Moss on Friday.

With Buffalo’s final five picks on Saturday, Beane turned his attention to adding competition at various positions by mostly sticking with the philosophy of selecting the best player available.

It led to Buffalo drafting Fromm, who led Georgia to the College Football Playoff title game in 2018.

Fromm isn’t expected to challenge Josh Allen for the starting job. And yet he provides Buffalo potential long-term insurance in a backup position with veteran Matt Barkley entering the final year of his contract.

“I wouldn’t have told you going into today that he was on our radar,” Beane said. “But we had him in a spot that you just can’t ignore.”

Beane’s approach is also how Buffalo wound up selecting Georgia Southern kicker Tyler Bass at No. 188. Though the Bills have a proven veteran in Stephen Hauschka, Beane said he wanted to add competition to the position, and Bass just happened to be available.

The luxury of targeting talent over need was Beane’s objective when he first arrived in Buffalo three years ago. And his approach this year was a departure from the past two drafts when he used a large stockpile of selections to address key positions.

Two years ago, Beane made a series of trades to land both Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in the first round. Last year, he made two other key moves in trading up to chose starting tackle Cody Ford and tight end Dawson Knox in the second and third rounds.

This year, Beane had to be more selective.

“I just didn’t want to draft guys here at the end that couldn’t make the roster,” he said. “I like what we’ve added. And I think competition is the word that I would walk away with today.”

ON THE RECEIVING END

Adding Diggs to a group of receivers that includes John Brown and Cole Beasley didn’t stop the Bills from stocking up on the position in the draft.

“Yeah, they’ve got deep guys, but you come to the NFL to compete,” said Davis, who set a single-season school record with 1,241 yards receiving as a junior last year.

NO DEAL

Beane said he came close to completing three trades, all of which failed to materialize for various reasons.

The first occurred Friday, when Beane feared losing out on drafting Moss. He considered moving up by as many as seven spots but found no trade partner, and still wound up selecting the running back.

Without revealing the details, Beane said he was finalizing a deal to trade up a few spots, when the player he was targeting was selected. Another trade fell through, this time to move back in the draft order, because Beane didn’t like the return and he preferred the player he eventually selected.

Beane cited a statistic in which Moss broke at least one tackle on 38% of his carries, and has a chance to earn a job in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Moss, who set the Utah career record with 38 touchdowns rushing, said he enjoys bowling over defenders.

“I like to be physical, trying to have defenses make a lot of business decisions in making tackles against me,” he said.

KICKING IT

Bass became the 12th place kicker drafted by Buffalo since the 1970s, and third since the Bills used a seventh-round pick to select John Potter in 2012. The Bills actually chose two kickers — Grant Guthrie in the sixth round and Stefan Schroder, 13th — in 1970.

FINAL PICK

The Bills closed the draft by selecting Pitt cornerback Dane Jackson with the 239th pick.

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports44d57633-8874-4fcd-9510-971e285500a2Sun, 26 Apr 2020 07:57:52 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/bills-select-aj-epenesa-out-of-iowa-with-the-54th-pick
Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN/AP) - The Buffalo Bills addressed their defensive pass-rush and offensive rushing needs with their two picks in the NFL draft Friday night and they rounded out the 2020 draft with a total of seven new plays by the time the drafting was done Saturday afternoon.

"I like what we've added", said Bills General Manager Brandon Beane when all was said and done Saturday.

"Hopefully these players will prove that I know what I'm doing", added Beane as he reflected on a unique draft that was shadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on draft execution.

Buffalo opened by selecting Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa, who led the Big Ten with 10 1/2 sacks as a junior last season, with the 54th pick. The Bills then followed up by choosing Utah running back Zack Moss at No. 86.

The Bills have selected A.J. Epenesa with the 54th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Epenesa’s selection was Buffalo’s first of the draft after the Bills traded four picks, including their first-rounder (22nd overall), to acquire receiver Stefon Diggs from Minnesota last month.

Having addressed many of Buffalo’s immediate needs in free agency and with Diggs’ addition, general manager Brandon Beane approached the draft with the objective of targeting the best player available rather than filling a positional roster spot.

And yet, both additions did fill depth needs for Buffalo.

Upgrading the pass rush was considered a partial need for Buffalo, given that returning starters Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy will both be 30 or older before the end of this year.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Epenesa was a three-year starter at Iowa, and joins a Bills defense that lost backup pass-rusher Shaq Lawson in free agency last month. The Bills did address Lawson’s departure by signing Mario Addison in free agency.

A scouting report posted on NFL.com referred to Epenesa as having “average instincts against the run, and is a step slow to shed, but he’s strong at the point and does his job.” He was also noted for having a strong bull rush. Overall, he had 26 1/2 sacks and forced nine fumbles in 37 career games.

Epenesa, who struggled at the NFL Combine, but was a force in Iowa’s defense the last three years, leading the Big Ten in sacks his sophomore season and put up equally impressive numbers as a starter this past year as a junior.

• Lacks burst or bend around the edge• Slow to change direction, lateral mobility• Would not fit well in a 3-4 base if asked to stand up on the edge; lacks hip mobility to play in space; better suited for 4-3 base

"Epenesa presented himself as an overwhelming force at times over the past two years. He’s a well-rounded defensive end rather than a pure edge rusher and could grow into a starter in either a three or four-man line. Epenesa possesses terrific upside and should only improve with more experience and technique training." - Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network

Video of Iowa DE AJ Epenesa 2019 Highlights

Player Comparison: Carlos Dunlap

Epenesa has actually drawn some comparisons to J.J. Watt for not only the similarities in size and style, but also in leadership qualities as well. If Watt is his ceiling, then his floor is more in line with Carlos Dunlap, which is what Lance Zeirlein of NFL.com pointed to as a comparison. Dunlap is another player similar in size who has had a consistent career with the Bengals, though not quite the star like Watt.

At 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Moss has the potential to play a complementary role to Devin Singletary, who supplanted LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore to become the Bills starter last seaosn.

Moss set six school records — including most career yards rushing (4,067) and career touchdowns rushing (38) — in completing his four-year career at Utah. Last season, he led the Pac-12 with 15 touchdowns and 1,416 yards rushing to earn the conference player of the year honors.

The Bills have selected RB Zack Moss with the 86th overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Moss was named the 2019 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the year after recording 1,416 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, while averaging 108.9 rushing yards per game. pic.twitter.com/QhAHKEAk32

Expectations are on the rise in Buffalo. A majority of the roster returns intact from a team coming off a 10-6 finish that qualified the Bills for the playoffs for the second time in three years.

The continuity has led to a belief of the Bills being in a prime position to challenge the New England Patriots for the AFC East title this season. The Patriots, who have won 11 straight division titles and 17 of the past 19, are suddenly in flux with quarterback Tom Brady leaving for Tampa Bay.

Beane certainly appears to be taking an all-in approach, given his bold move to acquire Diggs and address what he considered the team’s biggest offseason priority. Diggs provides the Josh Allen-led offense a trio of proven receivers, rounded out by John Brown and Cole Beasley.

Beane spent free agency shoring up needs on a defense that’s been among the NFL’s stingiest over the past two years. The Bills allowed the third-fewest yards in the league last season, a year after ranking second.

The offense remains the team’s most pressing concern. It’s a unit that finished 24th among NFL teams in yards gained, 26th in yards passing and 23rd in points. Buffalo scored 20 or fewer points 11 times last season, including a 22-19 overtime wild-card loss at Houston.

The playoff loss to the Texans stung in how Buffalo blew a 16-0 third-quarter lead.

Though the defense was unable to hold the Texans in check, Beane placed most of the blame on Allen and the offense, which squandered numerous scoring opportunities in the second half and overtime.

Allen enters his third season still facing questions about his accuracy. Though his completion percentage jumped to 58.8, six points over his rookie season, Allen still finished 32nd last year. He did have 20 touchdowns passing, doubling his production from the previous year, and nine interceptions, three fewer than his rookie season.

“The team to beat in the East is the Patriots,” the Bills general manager said, referring to a New England team that has essentially owned the division – including a 35-5 record against Buffalo – over the 20 seasons under coach Bill Belichick.

“I think it’s funny and comical that people are writing them off,” Beane said. “So, until we beat them, we’ve done nothing. And we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

There certainly is more work to do for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 1995, and only recently ended a 17-year postseason drought by qualifying in both 2017 and last year.

To be fair, though, Beane has already done plenty of heavy lifting in putting the Bills in the conversation as realistic contenders after spending the past three years methodically rebuilding Buffalo’s roster from the ground up.

It’s to the point where Buffalo entered the three-day NFL draft with very few holes to fill. Beane has addressed many of the team’s immediate needs with veteran free-agent additions, and dealt a first-round pick to land receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with Minnesota.

The move left Beane preparing to sit out the first round Thursday. Barring trades, Buffalo is left with seven selections, starting with a second-rounder (54th overall) on Friday night.

With essentially all 22 starting spots filled, Beane has the freedom of shoring up depth needs in targeting the best player available.

Running back is an option to complement Devin Singletary, who took over the starting role as a rookie last year. Another possibility is cornerback to develop a youngster to eventually play opposite starter Tre’Davious White. And Buffalo can always use more pass-rushing help with returning starters Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy each going to be 30 or older before this year ends.

Beane was noncommittal when asked if he places an emphasis on selecting a more established prospect over one who might need time to develop.

“It may be a tiebreaker, but I’m not going to pass up a good player. I’m still going to go best player available,” Beane said, before adding he might target positional depth needs in the later rounds. “Early on, second or third round, it will definitely be the best player, offense, defense, whatever.”

Just as important is Buffalo having continuity at many skill positions and with a Sean McDermott-led coaching staff that returns mostly intact for a third consecutive year. Many of the free agents the Bills added have ties to Beane and McDermott when the two were with the Carolina Panthers.

Beane placed an emphasis on familiarity by taking into account the likelihood of the coronavirus pandemic cutting into how much practice time teams will have before the season.

“I think it can help. It can’t hurt us,” Beane said of the added importance of having continuity entering this season.

He referred to the lockout-shortened 2011 offseason, when he was the Panthers director of football operations and Carolina was introducing a new coaching staff under Ron Rivera.

“We were signing free agents in August to go start training camp. It was something I’d never seen,” Beane said. “So, I like the continuity of where we’re at. But we still have a lot of work do to once we get back.”

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sportse61c8d2b-fe35-4279-a75d-80475b5b8e89Thu, 23 Apr 2020 19:11:14 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/ap-news/from-kelly-to-cousineau-the-bills-best-worst-draft-picks
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN/AP-John Wawrow) — BEST FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Let’s go with picks, plural, because it’s impossible to separate Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Jim Kelly and Bruce Smith. They formed the core of the Buffalo teams that made — and lost — four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s. Kelly, who holds most team passing records, was selected 14th in 1983. Smith, who holds the NFL record for most sacks, went No. 1 two years later.

BEST SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Late Bills owner Ralph Wilson liked to recount how he settled the debate over whether to select Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas with the 40th pick in the 1988 draft despite questions regarding his surgically repaired knee. “Hey, life’s a gamble,” Wilson said in providing then-GM Bill Polian the go-ahead to select the eventual Hall of Famer.

BEST LATE-ROUND DRAFT PICK: By modern-day standards, it’s undersized defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who went on to become one of the Bills’ most respected leaders during a 13-year career that began with the LSU product being selected in the fifth round in 2006. Howard Ballard earns honorable mention as an 11th-round pick in 1987 out of Alabama A&M. He started 80 games over six seasons in Buffalo and then played five more in Seattle. (DL Tom Sestak was a 17th-round pick in 1962, and LB Mike Stratton a 13th-round pick in ’63, both in the AFL.)

WORST FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Linebacker Tom Cousineau was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 draft and never played a down for the Bills. Cousineau rejected Buffalo by signing with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes for more money. The Bills retained his rights in 1982 before trading him to Cleveland for three draft picks, including a first-round selection in 1983.

WORST SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Receiver James Hardy’s 6-foot-5 frame and production during three years at Indiana led the Bills to select him with the 41st pick in 2008. Injuries and questionable route-running ability led to Hardy catching 10 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games over two seasons before being released. Honorable mention: Offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, taken 44th in 2014, never overcame knee injuries suffered in college, and finished with seven starts in 25 games over three seasons in Buffalo.

BEST DRAFT TRADE: The best part of the Bills drafting Cousineau is the player they eventually selected when trading the linebacker to Cleveland. Buffalo used the Browns’ 1983 first-round pick, 14th overall, to select Kelly.

WORST DRAFT TRADE: With Pittsburgh beating the Bills to select QB Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in 2004, then-GM Tom Donahoe gave up three selections, including Buffalo’s 2005 first-rounder, to Dallas to choose QB J.P. Losman 22nd overall. Losman went 10-23 in five seasons in Buffalo. Had the Bills kept their 2005 pick (20th overall), they could have drafted Aaron Rodgers. Honorable mention: Former GM Doug Whaley gave up a first-round pick to trade up five spots to select WR Sammy Watkins at No. 4 in a 2014 draft that saw Odell Beckham Jr. taken 12th and Davante Adams 53rd. Oakland selected University at Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack at No. 5.

DID YOU KNOW THEY ONCE DRAFTED?: The Bills took a chance on two-sport college player John “Bad Dude” Stearns with their final pick (17th round, 423rd overall) in 1973, and six spots ahead of the Vikings selecting baseball slugger Dave Winfield. Stearns, a defensive back and punter at Colorado, stuck with baseball, after being selected with the No. 2 pick by Philadelphia in the 1973 MLB draft. He went on to play 810 games over 10 seasons with the New York Mets.

Should the Bills general manager gets bored Thursday night, Beane’s certain he can find something entertaining to occupy his time.

“I’m going to play some videos of Stefon Diggs when 22 comes up,” he said during a conference call this month. “That’s our first-round pick.”

Beane referred to the bold move he made to address Buffalo’s most pressing offseason need by giving up four draft picks — including the 22nd overall — to acquire Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings on March 12.

The trade marked a drastic departure in approach for Beane, who spent much of his first three years shedding high-priced talent to stockpile draft picks. Adding Diggs is a sign of Beane going all-in on a team he believes is a contender following Buffalo’s first 10-win season in 20 years, and second playoff berth in three years.

By targeting an established player in Diggs, who is entering his sixth NFL season, Beane also took into account how little time a prospect might have to develop should the new coronavirus pandemic severely cut into the number of offseason practices.

“A lot of stuff in college is all signaled in. A lot of these guys aren’t in huddles,” he said, before referring to Diggs. “I know this guy knows ball, will be able to understand the verbiage once he learns our system quicker than (a draft pick).”

The Bills are left with seven picks over the final six rounds, starting with No. 54.

With Beane replenishing other roster holes – many of them on defense — with veteran free agents, he has the flexibility of targeting the best player available as opposed to drafting for an immediate need.

Beane’s choices could vary from Florida pass rusher Jabari Zuniga, Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks or doubling up on Diggs, who’s younger brother Trevon played cornerback at Alabama. Adding a running back to develop behind starter Devin Singletary is another option, with LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire among those expected to be available in the second round.

FAMILIAR FACES

It’s not a coincidence how many of the Bills’ offseason free-agent additions have ties to Beane and coach Sean McDermott, who worked together in Carolina before arriving in Buffalo in 2017. Beane served in the front office while McDermott was the team’s defensive coordinator.

Beane targeted those players because their familiarity with McDermott’s defense will ease their transition.

ON THE RECEIVING END

Diggs provides the Bills three proven receivers, rounded out by last year’s free-agent additions of John Brown and Cole Beasley.

Brown led Buffalo with 72 catches for 1,060 yards, while Beasley finished second with 67 catches for 778 yards. The Bills still finished 26th among NFL teams with 3,476 yards passing, something Beane sought to improve. Diggs topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of his past two seasons.

“I think it’s a huge, huge boost for our offense and for our team,” said Allen, preparing to enter his third season. “To have a weapon like that, it makes me super happy. It should make our other guys super happy, too, just because the attention (from opposing defenses) is going to have to be elsewhere.”

Allen’s completion percentage of 58.8 last year jumped six points from his rookie season, but he still finished 32nd among NFL starters.

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS

Allen acknowledged his numbers need to improve, while adding it helps entering his third season in the same system.

“I’ve had a few long talks with guys who have played the position for a long time, and they say, Year 3 is when things start to happen,” Allen said. “We need to see results. I understand how big of a year it is.”

BYE BYE BRADY

Tom Brady’s decision to leave AFC East rival New England for Tampa Bay left Allen with mixed emotions. Brady went 32-3 against Buffalo, setting the NFL record for most wins against one opponent.

“People aren’t going to like this answer, but I enjoyed playing against Tom,” said Allen, who grew up being a fan of Brady. “But I think Bills Mafia is happy that he’s out of there. They were tired of him winning in Buffalo, and frankly, we were tired of it, too.”

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports6aa5c9b1-e9ad-4b2a-9a46-0d0a3a04ae09Thu, 16 Apr 2020 20:22:53 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/former-bill-mark-campbell-shares-coronavirus-story
(WBEN) - Former Buffalo Bills Tight End Mark Campbell has been used to powering through injury and illness, but Coronavirus was something totally different.

“I am a young guy, in shape, and this thing really kicked my butt.”

Campbell, who played with the Bills from 2003 to 2005, was one of the first in his area of Michigan to contract the virus. He didn’t initially qualify to receive a test because of his healthy background, so he spent the first week of being sick isolated in his home, away from his family.

“At day 12, there was a bout a 24-hour period, where if I’m being totally honest with you, it was a little bit scary,” Campbell told WBEN. “At day 12 I started to labor to breathe. It’s not like I couldn’t breathe… but what it is is you just feel like you can’t get that oxygen. You can’t get that deep breath of relief.”

“It was time to go to the hospital.”

While at the hospital, he finally got the test that confirmed he had COVID-19.

He received doses of Plaquenil, and over the course of a couple days, began to wean himself off the oxygen that helped him finally fill his lungs.

Upon leaving doctors told him to continue to self-isolate, even though he was well enough to go home.

Now, Campbell is hoping that sharing his story can convince people to listen to public health guidelines on staying inside and social distancing, especially those who don’t think they’re at risk of serious complications.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane altered his approach in filling the Bills’ most pressing need at receiver.

By acquiring Diggs in a trade with Minnesota last month, Beane opted to add an established player who could immediately step into the lineup, rather than risk waiting for a rookie to grow into the role with limited practice time.

“You know the draft is stacked with receivers, but I think it became ever-prescient with what’s going on around us that we don’t know what kind of offseason we’ll have,” Beane said during a video conference call with Buffalo-area-reporters Thursday.

“I just felt like it was going to be really hard, unless I traded up really high to find a guy that I know could walk in on Day 1, let’s just say August, before we get back to things,” he said. “I just felt a proven commodity was worth this.”

Though the NFL is going ahead with holding its draft this month, players have been asked to self-isolate and are barred from working out at team facilities. The league has also postponed the start of teams’ offseason workout programs, which were scheduled to begin as early as Monday.

Beane paid a big price by trading away four draft picks, including Buffalo’s first-round selection (22nd overall) this year, to acquire Diggs. Beane justified his decision to add Diggs by saying he wasn’t certain who would still be available when it came time for Buffalo to make its first-round pick in the receivers-loaded draft.

And question marks remained even when Beane factored in trading up in the draft order. He calculated the Bills could have moved up to no higher than the 18th pick, based on the team’s limited trade assets.

Entering his sixth NFL season, Diggs is an established downfield threat who has topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of his past two years. He has the potential of providing Buffalo’s Josh Allen-led offense a primary deep threat it had previously been missing, and joins a group of established receivers rounded out by John Brown and Cole Beasley.

In his first comments since completing the trade on March 16, Beane acknowledged he began changing his thought process at a time when the severity of the pandemic was first being realized.

With all North American sporting events either canceled or postponed indefinitely, Beane took into account how much time NFL teams might have to prepare for the upcoming season with what could be a limited practice schedule.

And Diggs wasn’t the only option, Beane said. Without going into specifics, he noted having had discussions with veteran free-agent receivers who, Beane said, “would be able to come in and understand our verbiage quicker than a rookie.”

Beane’s interest in Diggs dates to last season, when he first broached the possibility of a trade with the Vikings. After Minnesota rejected Buffalo’s offers, Beane said the two sides resumed discussions this offseason.

Beane said the deal came together in a matter of hours, and after the Vikings informed the Bills they had several other offers on the table.

With four years and approximately $47.5 million remaining on his current contract, Diggs arrives in Buffalo with questions about his character after he complained about his role in Minnesota. Last year, Diggs was fined more than $200,000 for skipping two days of team activities following a loss to Chicago.

Beane doesn’t expect that to be an issue, and defended Diggs by calling him a “super-competitive guy, and brings an edge to the position.”

“I’m sure there’s things that he probably wishes he would maybe have handled better in retrospect, but it’s a clean slate here,” Beane said. “We believe in our culture. We believe the facts that we know about him. We believe he’ll be a fit here.”

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local Sportsc7ed5e12-f970-412b-ae18-5938e4372c31Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:12:31 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/bills-jets-miami-hope-to-capitalize-on-bradys-departure
MIAMI (WBEN/AP) — The biggest free agent deal for the Miami Dolphins this offseason has been one they didn't make.

The Dolphins spent more than $237 million last month and signed seven potential starters. But none will help their chances of overtaking the Patriots in the AFC East as much as Tom Brady did by bolting from New England to Tampa Bay.

The 6-foot-4 Brady loomed large in the division for two decades, dominating the Dolphins and the other perennial also-rans, the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

And now he's gone. This is no April Fool's joke: Just like Elvis has left building, Tom has left the division — the entire conference, in fact.

“It'll certainly be different,” Brady said.

The Dolphins, Bills and Jets sure hope so. Each is eager to seize center stage.

The Patriots have won the division 17 times in the 19 seasons since Brady became their starting quarterback. The exceptions were 2002, when the Jets finished first with a 9-7 record, and 2008, when Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury injury in Week 1 and Miami took the division title.

The Bills and Dolphins haven't won a postseason game since Brady made his first career start in 2001. The Jets haven't been to the playoffs since the 2010 season.

So what do they think about playing in a division without the three-time NFL MVP.

“Ha, ha. I mean, I'm not going to frown about it, you know?” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “He has been there for 20 years, and it's going to be different faces in the East now. Whoever wants it is just going to go get it. Obviously with Tom Brady gone, that's a huge, huge deal.”

Fans agree.

“Pretty crazy to not imagine him as a Patriot,” said Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel, who grew up in the Boston area a Patriots fan. “But hey, go Bills. Go Bucs.”

Even during a pandemic, Brady's uniform switch was front-page news, with lots of subsequent talk that the Patriots are now "just another team."

The Patriots understand.

“Especially now, you have a lot of time to be on Twitter and stuff, so a lot of what I’ve seen is just people tweeting me like, ‘Enjoy what you guys had, it’s over, you guys won’t win a game,’” New England safety Devin McCourty said.

“I think that’s natural, though. I think if I was a fan and I watched the team and watched a guy for a long time and he left and he was so great, I would say that team is going to be terrible, too. That’s expected.”

The 2020 Patriots probably likely won't be terrible — after all, they still have Bill Belichick. But they do need a quarterback, with Jarrett Stidham, Cody Kessler and Brian Hoyer the choices on the current roster.

None is likely to remind fans of Steve Young, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who succeeded Hall of Famer Joe Montana in San Francisco a generation ago. (Fun fact: Brady fondly recalls sitting in the stands as a teenager to watch Montana's last game with the 49ers at Candlestick Park.)

So who's the best quarterback in the AFC East now? While Belichick must replace perhaps the greatest of all time, the Bills believe they have a franchise QB in Josh Allen. Ditto the Jets with Sam Darnold. The Dolphins, with the fifth pick in the draft and three selections in the first round, hope to land a keeper at QB this month.

“It’s a new season,” said Ted Karras, a former Patriots center who signed last month with Miami. “We’ve got as good of a shot as anybody else in the division.”

Not necessarily. The team that appears closest to overtaking New England is the Bills, who went 10-7 last season, their best record since 1999. They have a sense of stability for a change with Sean McDermott entering his fourth year as coach, and they're especially eager to embrace this new era in the AFC East after going 3-32 against Brady.

The Dolphins are rebuilding under second-year coach Brian Flores, who used a league-record 84 players last season and miraculously won five games. Heavy roster turnover will likely continue for at least another year, and Flores' long-term fate rests largely on who Miami drafts at QB.

The Jets also remain a work in progress under general manager Joe Douglas, who is in his first full offseason, and second-year coach Adam Gase. They need a left tackle, a go-to receiver and — most of all — further development by Darnold.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have been hit hard in free agency, and not just at quarterback. Among those departing was linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who split for Miami but tapped the brakes on the notion the Patriots have fallen out of the mix in the East.

“They’ll always be the Patriots, with the kind of players they have up there,” Van Noy said. “They still have a really good set of football players up there that love football, that are going to be hungry to prove to a lot of people that they’re still in it.”

The Dolphins, Jets and Bills still have to play New England twice a year. But they don't have to play against Brady in 2020 — at least not until the Super Bowl. He's the NFC South's problem now.

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sports85e9d117-147f-46e0-9ace-be705939ff9eThu, 02 Apr 2020 15:09:39 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/ap-news/stefon-diggs-addition-highlights-bills-large-offseason-haul
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN/AP) — Frustrated by the Bills collapse in an AFC wild-card playoff loss at Houston, general manager Brandon Beane opened the offseason suggesting Buffalo wasn’t one player away from being a better team.

Beane backed up that sentiment by making a series of additions – highlighted by agreeing to acquire receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with Minnesota – in leading up to the start of the NFL’s signing period Wednesday.

League rules prevented teams from announcing the acquisition of players who have not taken a physical. And players are currently barred from visiting team facilities until March 31 as a result of the new coronavirus.

That didn’t stop the Bills from posting previous media reports of the team’s acquisitions on their website.

Diggs was the key addition in a trade in which Buffalo gave up four draft picks, including its first-round selection (22nd overall) this year.

The dynamic fifth-year receiver provides the Josh Allen-led offense a primary deep threat it has been previously missing, and joins a group of established receivers rounded out by Cole Beasley and John Brown.

With a projected $75 million in salary cap space entering the new NFL year, Beane didn’t stop there in shoring up various needs on a defense that allowed the third-fewest yards in the NFL last season, and fewest in 2018.

The more notable additions were defensive tackle Vernon Butler, defensive end Mario Addison and linebacker A.J. Klein. Butler and Addison offset Buffalo losing defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and defensive end Shaq Lawson to free agency. Klein stands to replace Lorenzo Alexander, who previously announced he is ending his career.

The additions free Beane to target the best talent over positional need in using Buffalo’s seven remaining picks in the draft next month. The Bills currently open the draft with the 54th selection.

Among Buffalo’s more pressing needs is at running back to complement Devin Singletary, who took over the starting job in his rookie season last year.

Beane’s bold move to acquire Diggs emphasized the impatience he expressed by saying the Bills need to score more points at the NFL rookie combine in Indianapolis last month

Before acquiring Diggs, Buffalo was expected to use one of its first two draft picks on selecting a receiver out of what is projected to be a deep pool of prospects.

Rather than hope for a prospect to develop, Beane took the calculated risk of acquiring a ready-made talent in Diggs, who is entering his sixth NFL season.

The 26-year-old has topped 1,000 yards receiving each of his past two years, and ranked fourth in the NFL last season in averaging 17.9 yards per catch.

Overall, Diggs has 365 catches for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns, providing the Bills with three receivers with 28 or more TDs. Previously, only seven players have scored 28 or more touchdowns receiving in team history.

Diggs joins an offense that ranked 26th in the NFL in yards passing, and scored 21 or more points just six times.

His addition places further emphasis on Allen needing to continue showing signs of development entering his third season. Though Allen's 52.8 completion percentage last year jumped six points over his rookie season, he still ranked 32nd in the NFL.

Allen’s inconsistency was particularly apparent in a 22-19 overtime playoff loss to Houston, in which the Bills squandered a 16-0 third-quarter lead. Allen finished completing 11 of his final 26 passes for 133 yards with a lost fumble.

Allen displayed his excitement in welcoming the receiver Monday by posting on a note on his Twitter account which read: “Ya Digg?”

Diggs responded by writing: “LETS GET IT.”

He has four years and approximately $47.5 million remaining on his current contract.

The one question is whether Diggs can keep his frustrations in check under a coach in Sean McDermott who demands players adhere to a team-first mentality.

In Minnesota, Diggs more than once stormed around the sideline after a failed offensive possession. He also grew impatient over his role in an offense that also relied on receiver Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook.

After a dispiriting defeat at Chicago in 2019 that left the Vikings at 2-2, Diggs skipped two days of team activities out of frustration and drew more than $200,000 in fines.

Upon returning, however, he produced some of the finest performances of his career and helped the Vikings return to the playoffs and win at New Orleans in the wild-card round.

A common denominator involving many of Buffalo’s other additions are players' connections to Carolina, where McDermott previously served as the Panthers defensive coordinator.

Addison, who has topped nine sacks in each of his past four seasons, Klein and Butler all played under McDermott. They are also familiar with Beane, who worked in the Panthers' front office before taking over in Buffalo in 2017.

The Bills did announce signing cornerback Josh Norman to a one-year contract, who spent his first four NFL seasons in Carolina.

]]>WBEN NewsroomBills, Local News, Local Sportsf5c22a1d-b98a-4568-ba1f-36871beb2271Wed, 18 Mar 2020 21:01:46 -0400RSS Feedhttps://wben.radio.com/articles/bills-acquire-wr-stefon-diggs-in-trade-with-minnesota
Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN-Louie DiBiase) - What seemed like a quiet opening day of free agency for the Buffalo Bills ended with the team stealing headlines. Late Monday night the Bills agreed to a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for WR Stefon Diggs.

Buffalo sends a 2020 first, fifth, and sixth round draft pick along with a 2021 fourth round selection for the 26-year old receiver and a 2020 seventh round pick.

Despite signing a long-term contract with the Vikings, Diggs reportedly grew unhappy with his role in Minnesota's offense last year. Before Monday's trade, the veteran receiver sent out a tweet hinting at his desire to play elsewhere in 2020.

In Diggs, the Bills provide Allen with an established wideout on an offense that finished 24th in the NFL in yards gained last season, and 26th in yards passing. Allen enters his third season still attempting to address questions regarding his accuracy that have followed since being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft.

Though Allen showed promising signs of improvement in leading the Bills to a 10-6 record and their second playoff berth in three years last season, he went 271 of 461 for 3,089 yards passing to finish 32nd in the NFL with a 58.8 completion percentage.

Diggs’ arrival comes a year after the Bills upgraded their group of receivers by signing Cole Beasley and John Brown in free agency. Brown led the team with 72 catches for 1,060 yards, becoming Buffalo’s first receiver to top 1,000 yards since Sammy Watkins in 2015.

Overall, Diggs has 365 catches for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns in 70 career games. His six touchdowns receiving last year would have put him tied with Brown and Beasley for the team lead.

The move is a blockbuster for Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who has avoided making big splashes in free agency or when it comes to acquiring high-profile players via trade during his previous three seasons on the job.

Beane began this offseason by tamping down expectations in saying, “I don’t think we’re one player away,” when specifically asked about the team’s need to obtain another established receiver.

Beane did stress one point at the NFL’s rookie combine in Indianapolis last month by saying the one thing the Bills need to improve upon is scoring. Buffalo finished 23rd in the NFL in points, and scored 20 or more just seven times.

Diggs, 26, has four years and approximately $47.5 million remaining on his current contract, an extension worth more than $73 million that he signed with Minnesota in 2018.

Last season, Diggs had a career-high 1,130 yards receiving, with four of his six touchdowns covering 40-plus yards. That big-play total tied for the second-most in the league, and his average of 17.9 yards per reception ranked fourth in the NFL among players with a qualifying amount of catches.

Diggs was one of the testaments to Minnesota’s ability to find value in the back of the draft. He was a fifth-round pick in 2015 out of Maryland whose stock fell due to injury and attitude concerns.

He mostly stayed out of trouble with the Vikings, making the biggest name for himself in the playoffs after the 2017 season with his last-play touchdown catch to beat New Orleans in what became known as the “Minneapolis Miracle.”

Fiercely competitive, like many of his peers at his position across the game, Diggs more than once could be seen storming around the sideline after a failed possession by the offense. As wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook also flourished as go-to players and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer remained steadfast in his desire to have a strong, consistent running game, there were only so many opportunities for Diggs to get his hands on the ball.

After a dispiriting defeat at Chicago in 2019 that left the Vikings at 2-2, Diggs skipped two days of team activities out of frustration and drew more than $200,000 in fines. After returning, however, he produced some of the finest performances of his career and helped the Vikings return to the playoffs and win at New Orleans in the wild-card round.

This offseason, though, his steady stream of cryptic tweets suggested all was not calm in his corner. Earlier on Monday, several hours before news of the trade broke, Diggs tweeted it was “time for a new beginning.”

Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman both downplayed the possibility of a Diggs trade at the NFL combine last month.

“There’s no reason — the rumors or whatever you’re talking about — to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking,” Spielman said.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Veteran cornerback Josh Norman has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the signing has not been announced. NFL Network first reported the deal.

Norman is an eighth-year player who spent the past four seasons in Washington before being released last month. He struggled to play to high expectations and was cut with one season left on a five-year, $75 million contract he signed in free agency in 2016.

In Buffalo, the 32-year-old Norman gets an opportunity for a fresh start among familiar faces.

Bills coach Sean McDermott was the Panthers' defensive coordinator during Norman’s first four NFL seasons in Carolina. Norman is also a known commodity to Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who worked in the Panthers’ front office at the same time.

Norman will be given an opportunity to compete with Levi Wallace for the starting job opposite Tre’Davious White. He also fills a potential need with cornerback Kevin Johnson eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next week.

Norman enjoyed his best season under McDermott in 2015 on a Panthers defense that led the league with 24 interceptions. He had a career-best four interceptions and returned two for touchdowns to earn his first and only All-Pro honor.

Last season, Norman had only eight starts in 12 games and understood his time with Washington was coming to an end after sitting out the team's final four games.

“You've got to put it on yourself as a person to be better within what is happening, and I wasn't," Norman said on locker clean-out day. "I can accept that.”

Upon being released, he posted a note on his Twitter account saying he was “grateful for everything.”

Norman had seven interceptions and 43 passes defensed in 58 games with Washington. Overall, he has 14 interceptions and 12 forced fumbles in 111 career games.

The promotion announced Wednesday underscores Frazier's role of serving as one of head coach Sean McDermott's most trusted advisers, while also overseeing one of the NFL's stingiest defenses over the past two seasons.

Frazier was among the first coaches McDermott hired upon taking over the Bills job in 2017.

Frazier has 22 seasons of NFL coaching experience, including a three-plus-year stint as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He and McDermott previously worked together as assistants with the Philadelphia Eagles in the early 2000s.